Lanie Cupids and Cowboys
Western Historical Romance
Firehouse Publishing
October 1, 2020
190
U.S. Marshal Ben Carleton is new to the job. He had no plans to hunt killers and thieves, but his life took an abrupt turn when his wife was murdered and he was left caring for his infant son. Alone. Ben knows nothing about caring for children, but he does know one thing...tracking a killer. And that's what he's determined to do when he arrives at the Monroe's Colorado ranch, the family that took him in when he was a boy. His intention is to leave his son in their capable hands until he does what needs to be done. Until he eliminates the evil man who killed his innocent wife.
Lanie Monroe hasn't seen Ben since she was a child chasing frogs in the creek and seeing him again is a shock to her system. The teenage boy she idolized has grown into a hardened, and heartless man. Not much else has changed. Her parents are older, but she still chases frogs, and cattle, shoots snakes and runs the ranch like it's her own. Trouble is, a woman isn't allowed to inherit, and her father is determined to see her married. Ben's arrival is her father's answer to all of life's problems. He wants Lanie to take off her pants and spurs and settle down into domestic bliss with a Marshal who is still grieving his dead wife, hunting a killer, and has so much pain in his eyes she can barely stand to look at him.
But fate has never been on Lanie's side. To save the ranch she loves, marriage is the only option. Even as she says, 'I do', she wonders if the gorgeous cowboy vowing to love her forever will do nothing but break her heart.
Reviewed by Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
This is the second book in this series and if like me you are a fan of Ms. Woolf and are wondering why you didn’t see book one it is because this series is being done by various authors and this is Ms. Woolf’s contribution.
It is the 1890’s and this is Lanie Monroe’s story, a story that began in Ms. Woolf’s book Carter. Lanie was left at four months old on Carter’s front porch and now she is twenty working on her father’s ranch trying to prove to him daily that she is capable of doing everything a son would do. Her world changes when Ben Carleton who lived with the family when he was a teen returns.
Ben is a US Marshal searching for the man who killed his wife and left him with a son to raise alone. Ben’s wife cheated on him with an outlaw named Jack Thorne and he is the one Ben is convinced killed his wife so she couldn’t reveal who he was. In order to search for Jack he needs to insure his son’s safety and Carter and his wife Samantha have agreed to watch him while he is away.
Lanie falls in love with Jesse as soon as she sees him but knows he will not be with them long, well that is what she thinks. Her father has other ideas and that is for Lanie and Ben to marry and he gives her absolutely no choice in the matter. As a woman the law states that she cannot inherit her father’s ranch leaving it to any other relative but her. Marrying Ben would insure the ranch stays with her.
One kiss from Ben and Lanie is ready to take it to the next step, marriage, consummating the marriage and having more children. She, like Ben is convinced that love will never enter into the equation but if you are a fan of Ms. Woolf then you have heard that before.
A beautiful love story, amazing characters, an adorable little boy and the search for a murderer all are in this book. As I stated before this is a spin-off from Carter and all the other books in the series are standalone and by various authors.